20 July 2013

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Although it isn't yet National Zucchini Day yet (that's August 8, in case you were wondering), I thought I'd devote this week's post to that ubiquitous summer squash.

As most of you know, Mr. BFR and I have been members of a CSA since the last century. And this is the time when summer squash, especially zucchini, fills up our market basket. Fortunately for us, we love squash, and usually have no trouble eating it almost every night while it's garden fresh. What we can't use up, gets grated, measured, and put in the freezer for winter baking and soups.

This summer, I've already made zucchini bake, and we've eaten squash simply sauteed with onion and as part of stir-fries. So this week I decided to experiment a bit and came up with three new (to us) dishes. Unlike my usual bad habits, I actually wrote down what I did and remembered to take photos.

A note on the recipes: My recipes are inspired by the ingredients I have in my kitchen. Once I come up with an idea, I generally do a quick cookbook or Internet search to see some variations on my basic formula. Sometimes I tweak my recipe based on what I find. The following were all developed in my head and in my kitchen; as far as I know, they are unique.

Whisk the oils, vinegar, garlic, mustard, basil, and salt and pepper until well blended. Pour into a self-sealing gallon-size plastic bag. Add the zucchini strips. Let marinate at room temperature, turning the bag over every once in a while, for at least an hour, more if you have time.

Preheat your grill to medium high. Remove the zucchini from the marinade and grill 11 minutes total, turning once, or until crisp-tender.

Notes: We loved this and ate every bite. By the way, the marinade is my favorite salad dressing. I vary the herb (oregano, basil, thyme . . .) and don't use salt. Adjust the grilling time if you slice your zucchini thinner or thicker.

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. When done, drain and rinse, and allow to cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, place the zucchini and garlic scapes in a microwave-safe bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of water and microwave on high about 5 minutes, stopping and stirring once, until just softened. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix the peanut butter with the 1/3 cup hot water (I used the pasta cooking water) until well blended. Add the remaining ingredients, stirring until well blended.

Place the cooled pasta in a large bowl, add the zucchini mixture (and any residual liquid). Mix. Then add the peanut sauce and mix until the pasta is well coated. Serve at room temperature.

Notes: I'm slightly allergic to peanuts, so I used Sunbutter (a fake peanut butter). If you use real peanut butter, you may have to adjust the amount of added water to get the right consistency (thick, but loose enough to coat the pasta). This may sound like an odd combo, but it was delicious. Next time, I'll add some red bell peppers (cooked with the zucchini) for color; the finished dish was a little bland looking.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and peppers, and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the zucchini, and continue cooking and stirring until the zucchini begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the sausage, and continue cooking and stirring until the meat is heated through, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with the milk and chili spice until well blended. Stir in the zucchini mixture and the cheese. (If the zucchini mixture is hot, stir in a little at a time to temper the eggs.) Pour into the prepared pan and bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until the egg mixture has set up.

Cut into squares and serve warm.

Notes: I didn't add salt or pepper because there were enough spices in the chili mixture and sausage. Mr. BFR spooned salsa over his portions.

We grilled zucchini and red onion Thursday night to have alongside grilled burgers. Yummy! I used a recipe from the America's Test Kitchen cookbook that we have, and poured the marinade over the grilled vegetables after they were off the grill. Probably not as much flavor that way, but less messy on the grill, I guess.

Yum! I love the idea of a crustless zucchini quiche. I need to try that. You didn't have any trouble with it being too runny? I make a roasted vegetable lasagne where several of the layers are zucchini. Also stuffed, curried zucchini is good, too. It's a nice way to cook without tons of carbs.

I have two zucchini in my fridge just waiting to be cooked--I will be trying one of these recipes tomorrow! I used to not really like zucchini, but I think it's because I always had it overcooked and mushy. Now I tend to roast or lightly sautée it and I love the flavor.

I didn't know there was a National Zucchini Day. Usually I have so many in my garden that I'm always searching for new recipes to try. This year the crop failed. I pulled out the wilted, zucchini-less plants today, all ruined by the squash bug. Fortunately I can find lots of fresh, inexpensive zucchini at the farmer's market so I can still try these recipes. I've made them grilled, but peanut sauce and quiche are new ones.

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About Me

I'm a freelance book editor, reviewer, and journalist blogging as Beth Fish. On these pages, you'll find book reviews, book features, and other bookish content. I like to spotlight my favorite imprints and I'm a long-time audiobook lover. (I was the Audio Publishers Association's 2016 Audiobook Blogger of the Year!) Each Saturday I host my popular Weekend Cooking feature. Don't forget to look for my weekly photograph. You can find me on social media as @BethFishReads. Publicists, publishers, authors: please see my review policy. NB: I did not work on any book mentioned on this site.

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